Calculated magnetic field advection in plasma opening switches

Summary form only given. In an effort to work toward a strong basic understanding of the operation of plasma opening switches (POSs), theory and numerical experiment have been compared with the aim of developing a reliable predictive capability. It has been shown that under idealized conditions (with fixed ions) the magnetic field can penetrate the Cartesian plasma as a nonlinear wave with a specified speed. A 2-D numerical study shows (1) Cartesian field accumulation mainly along the dense anode, (2) penetration along the interface of a small density jump midway between planar electrodes, (3) favored cathode field penetration when the density rises quadratically toward the anode or is simply constant in cylindrical geometry, and (4) deep `snakelike´ field penetration when the density varies in a sinusoidal perturbation with radius. Moreover, when the ions can move, initial density perturbations grow deeper from ion erosion and magnetic pressure effects. This propagates the field penetration faster, creating rising density profiles, which favor the advective penetration mechanism